


Chalcedony

by jadedJokester



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gem Fusion, Gen, Lapis and Steven are best friends we always knew this, Lapis and Steven fuse for Friendship and Therapy, Peridot Enjoys Gardening, Square Mom Best Mom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-09-23 01:00:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20331436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadedJokester/pseuds/jadedJokester
Summary: "Watch carefully,the magic that occurs,when you give a person,just enough comfort,to be themselves."-AtticusLapis tries to get over her fear of fusion by fusing with one of the few people she's ever trusted.





	1. Chapter 1

Lapis Lazuli sat perched atop the grain silo next to the barn, hugging her legs to her chest. She stared at the mess of stars above, pinpricks of light stretched across a void dark sea, and she thought of Malachite.

Despite everything that she had been through, despite the progress and the healing, Malachite always lurked, an almost-forgotten shadow at the back of her mind. Always a part of her, never apart from her- but Malachite was _just_ a shadow, and Lapis had Steven to thank for that. Lapis took a deep breath and rested her head against her knees, driving out the unwelcome thoughts.

A spark of anger flared in Lapis' core, and she frowned. Fusion- fusion was supposed to be _special_, wasn't it? It was supposed to be a wonderful, fulfilling. It was supposed to make you _happy._

She wanted to feel that.

Lapis had certainly never felt any of that- any of that _happiness._ Not from fusion, not like Garnet. Garnet was an example of what fusion could be, and example of what it _should_ be. Her scowl deepened. Malachite took that from her. Lapis huffed, looking back up at the sky. 

She wanted, really wanted to feel the things Garnet had described. But... she was afraid of fusing again- afraid that it would be like Malachite again. Who could she do something like that with? Who could she trust like that? _Peridot?_ Lapis thought, and burst into a giggling fit. She liked Peridot, she really did, but she just couldn't imagine doing something like that with her. _Not Pearl, or Garnet, or Amethyst..._ Lapis thought. She had mostly gotten over her resentment towards the three gems, but she didn't really trust them, not completely. _I bet Steven would be disappointed to hear that-_ Lapis froze, considering something. Steven was her friend- Steven was her _best_ friend. And she did trust Steven. He was such a sweet, kind, caring kid...

It was surprisingly easy for Lapis to make up her mind after that. Tomorrow, she would go to the beach house and she would ask Steven to help her overcome her fear of fusion. A worry that she would alienate or just disgust Steven played briefly across her mind, but after a moment she dismissed it. Steven would never do anything like that- the worst she could expect was a polite refusal. Maybe some anger from the gems, but she could deal with that. She was just sick of being afraid.

Lapis slipped through the barn door, past the _Camp Pining Hearts_ engrossed Peridot who was too focused on the television to note her return. Lapis sat on the edge of her bed, taking comfort in the feeling of soft fabric against her skin. She wouldn't sleep tonight. She didn't need to, and when she did it too often ended in nightmares, but tonight she would sit on her bed, read a book, and try not to think about what she was going to do tomorrow.

vVv

Eventually dawn came, and Lapis put down her book and took the warp pad back to the Gem's temple. In a moment the warp stream subsided and she was standing in the beach house, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dim light.

The house was empty except for Garnet, standing over the stove and humming quietly. "Good morning, Lapis." She said, without turning around. "Steven is still asleep. He should be awake soon."

"Oh. Um, thanks." Lapis shifted uncomfortably, still standing on the warp pad. Garnet sighed.

"Lapis, could I speak with you for a moment? Come here." Lapis stepped off the pad and cautiously made her way over to the kitchenette. Garnet flipped a pancake from a frying pan onto a plate, set the pan in the sink, and turned around to face Lapis. "You know how much we care for Steven. I know you do, too, which is why I have to talk to you about this." Lapis stared back at her, trying fruitlessly to look through her reflective glasses.

"Talk about wha-"

"Fusion, Lapis."

"Oh." Lapis gulped, looking away. _Future vision. Right._ "What about it?" She snapped, defiant. "There's nothing wrong with it! You should know that better than anyone else." 

Garnet put up a hand in placation, leaning over the countertop. "I know, Lapis. I know fusion can be an incredible thing. I'm sure you and Steven would make a wonderful fusion." Garnet's voice, previously as impassive as ever, took on a note of sympathy. "I'm glad that you've rebuilt the confidence to do something like this. It takes a lot of courage to come back from something like Malachite." 

"I know." Lapis muttered, looking down.

"Good. What I wanted to say is this: _be careful_. Steven wants you to be happy. If he thinks this will help you and he doesn't want to do it, or it goes wrong, I doubt he'll tell you. So you have to watch, alright?" Garnet tilted down her glasses, revealing three oddly colored, narrowed eyes. "Alright?"

"Of course." Lapis looked back up at Garnet, her expression resolute. "I don't want Steven hurt any more than you do."

"Good." Garnet stood, walking past Lapis and to the warp pad. "Tell Steven that his breakfast is ready when he wakes up." She said, nodding towards the stack of pancakes she'd been busy making.

"Alright." Lapis said. Garnet smiled.

"Good luck, Lapis. The two of you will make a beautiful fusion." With a flash of light, Garnet dissipated, leaving a confused but reassured Lapis alone in the empty house, waiting for Steven to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter fusions happenin, baby! Maybe the chapter after that, but soon. I thought it was sad that Lapis had had such a bad experience with fusion, and wanted to write a fic where she got over that fear by fusing with someone else. Steven was the obvious choice, of course- I don't think there's a gem on earth she trusts more. Maybe Peridot could have been a candidate, but I just don't think they know each other well enough yet.


	2. Chapter 2

Half an hour passed between the time Garnet left the temple and the time Steven woke up. Those thirty minutes were spent by Lapis walking in quiet circles around the kitchenette, opening and closing cabinets, and staring down Steven's slowly wilting stack of pancakes. She found her hands constantly touching and fidgeting with the folds of her dress whenever they weren't busy, despite her meager attempts to stay still. Stars, she was nervous.

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity of fidgeting, Lapis heard a quiet thump on the floorboards above. She continued to stay quiet as she listened to Steven go through his daily routine, waiting the few minutes it would take for him to finish. Not long after, Steven came shuffling down the stairs, dressed as he always was, his posture and expression drooping with drowsiness. Upon laying eyes on Lapis, however, his boundless energy seemed to return to him immediately, a wide smile stretching across his face. "Lapis!" He cried, running the rest of the way down the stairs.

"Hey Steven-" Lapis raised an arm and waved, half a second before Steven came barreling into her waist at full force. Lapis stumbled back, wobbling unsteadily as Steven wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. 

"Lapis!" he said again, looking up at her with a starry-eyed grin. "Hey! What are you doing here? I was going to visit you later today!" 

Lapis knelt down and returned the hug, prompting Steven to loosen his grasp on her. "Sorry, Steven. I didn't know." 

"Don't be sorry!" Steven beamed. "It's great to see you! What made you wanna visit lil' old me today?" He giggled, climbing up on top of one of chairs next to the kitchen island.

"Oh. Well, I..." Lapis trailed off, nerves getting the better of her. "... Garnet made breakfast." She finished, lamely. 

"Oh! Cool?" Steven said, audibly confused. Lapis grabbed the plate of pancakes and shoved it in front of him, cutting off any further questioning. Steven didn't waste the opportunity and dug in, shoveling forkfuls of pancake into his mouth. This was not enough to silence him. "Sho Lapish-" He said, through a mouthful of food. Lapis grimaced.

"After you eat, please." Steven acquiesced, content to eat in silence for the few minutes it took him to wolf down the food. Eventually the last piece disappeared from the plate and Steven turned to face Lapis. 

"C'mon, tell me why you dropped by!" He said, cheerfully. "Is it a surprise? 's there something the Gems need? OH!" Steven exclaimed, elbowing Lapis playfully. "You came for some summer beach-buddy fun time, didn't you! We could go visit the docks, or to Funland, or-"

"Nope!" Lapis cut off Steven's rambling, a clear note of amusement coloring her tone. "We'll save beach buddy fun time for another day. I actually came to, uhm, ask you something." 

"Awww." Steven pouted for a moment, more for show than anything. "Sure! What do you want to know?" Lapis took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to say.

"Steven... you're my-" Lapis hesitated for a moment, thinking of her newfound friend in Peridot, but- _Yeah. Yeah, he is._ "-friend. You're my _best_ friend, Steven, the best one I've _ever_ had." She finished, looking nervously over Steven to gauge his reaction. For now, he was silent, paying perfect attention to her, so she continued. "And- I trust you. I really do trust you, Steven. You've done so much for me." Steven opened his mouth to respond, and Lapis charged ahead to say what she wanted to say. "What I'm trying to say is that you're the only person I trust to do this, to do what I want to do, to, t-to... " She took a short breath, unraveling the worried knot in her core. "...Fuse. I want to fuse with you, Steven." And there it was. She said it.

Steven was silent, shell-shocked. After a few moments, the happy grin that she was used to seeing on him returned, a determined expression settling over his face. He opened his mouth again, his smile brighter than she'd seen for weeks. "Yeah, Lapis. I will. You're my best friend too."

And that was that.

vVv

Lapis reaffirmed with Steven several times over the next few minutes that yes, he did actually want to do this, yes, he was really sure, and no, he wasn't saying that just to spare her feelings. Lapis had expected hesitant acceptance and had prepared herself for stark refusal, but what she hadn't foreseen was how _excited_ Steven would be. It was... heartening, to say the least. Some of Steven's irrepressible confidence was beginning to rub off on her, eroding the layers of anxiety she had spent the previous night building up.

"We are going to be _so cool_." Steven said, breathlessly peppering Lapis with questions and speculation on the hypothetical traits of their fusion. "What will their weapon be? I bet it'll be like... a super cool... thing? Lapis, what is your weapon? I don't think I've ever seen you use it. Wait! What'll they look like? That's more important- tall, probably, because you're really tall-" Lapis cut him off, speaking through a growing smile. 

"Garnet is taller than I am."

"Okay well, _yeah_." Steven said, rolling his eyes. "Practically _nobody_ is taller than Garnet. 'cept like, other fusions. OH!" He exclaimed. "Do you think we'll be taller than Garnet? We totally will! This is going to be so great! I bet she'll be totally jealous, haha!" His starry-eyed confidence really was infectious, and Lapis couldn't help but giggle along with him. 

"She'll be heartbroken." Lapis smiled, hopping off of her stool and extending a hand to Steven.

"Nah." Steven took her hand and jumped off his seat, landing with a dull thump. "Garnets, like, super tough. She'll get over it. So..." He paused for a moment, hesitant. "Do you want to do this now?"

"Yes." Lapis said, quick and firm. "I mean... yeah. I think now would be best, unless you want to wait." 

"Nope!" Steven said, cheerful as ever. "Now is fine! I, uh, don't think we can fuse in here, though. It's... kinda small." He had a point. The beach house hadn't been built to be particularly roomy. Lapis doubted that she would have room to move unless they shoved all the furniture against the walls. 

"The beach." Lapis said, unbidden. 

"Hm?" Steven looked up at her, questioning.

"We can do it on the beach." Lapis looked out through the beach house's window, into the encroaching light of dawn. "There's room. And I'd like to."

"The beach..." Steven mused, speaking under his breath. "The beach sounds great!" He beamed, taking her hand and leading her out of the front door and into the burgeoning sunlight. Lapis overtook him, pulling him to the edge of the sand, where the surf licked at their feet but could not rise above their ankles. Lapis let go of his hand, and Steven stepped away, taking ten paces back across the shore, and turned to face her.

The sun was still rising over the waves, dawn not quite yet haven given up to day. Pinks and reds colored the morning sky, reflected over the entirety of the ocean laid out bare before them like shimmering flames dancing over water. The world was nearly silent, Beach City still waking up. There were no horns or rumbling cars or talking people. Just her and Steven, the infrequent cries of the gulls that circled far overhead, and the slow crash of waves against the beach.

Lapis took in a deep breath, and she couldn't help but remember.

\- 

_Here- here is where it happened. How could she forget? Always a part of her, ever the shadow in the back of her mind, Malachite loomed. It was too easy now to see the flaming shards of emerald stone littering the shore. Too easy to feel Jasper's massive hands clasped over her own, so tight she feared her fingers might break. This was all it took, to send her back to that day. _

_Lapis glanced up and Malachite was there, towering over her, monstrous thing that she was, all arms and eyes and broken teeth. Malachite spat, dripping poison words in a voice that was not unlike Lapis' own. "Do you think you can get rid of me?" She hissed, bringing her horrible face down level with Lapis. She did not flinch. "Do you think you can throw me away? "YOU made me, YOU made me who I am. Who WE are." Malachite snarled, her face rippling like something was moving beneath it. "I am not a thing you can DEFEAT. I AM YOU." _

_"I could never get rid of you, Malachite. I won't try." Lapis said, in a flat tone that did not show the fear coiling in her stomach. "You're a part of me. You are the worst part of me. I can't get rid of you, but I won't let you determine who I am. There are other people to live for. Better than you." _

_The enraged Malachite roared, rearing back as if to pluck Lapis off of the beach where she stood. Lapis stood still, waiting to be taken again- waiting to be dragged, her own prisoner, back to the bottom of the sea- but the hand never came. _

\- 

Lapis opened her eyes, and found the beach quiet. Again it was her and Steven, alone. No wreckage. No Malachite. Steven stepped closer to her, visibly concerned, as she let out a great, shuddering breath.

"Lapis? Are you okay?" Lapis fell to her knees, sinking her palms into the cool, wet sand. Steven rushed over to her, clearly worried, nearly falling over himself kneeling next to her on the beach. "Lapis?"

"I'm fine, Steven." She said, and was surprised to find she meant it. "Just... remembering. Sorry" She stood and took Steven's hand, pulling him back up with her. She ruffled his hair, smiling as Steven's worried expression melted off his face. "So, Steven." She said, stepping back, and then extending her hand. "May I... May I have this dance?"

Steven's smile was brighter than the sun. "You may." He said, and took her hand.

And so they danced, moving to the rhythm of the crashing waves, spinning to the beat of an invisible drum. Lapis held the hand of the shorter gem as they danced around the shore, the pattern of their footsteps growing ever faster, meeting a constant beat that only they could hear. His heartbeat echoed in every footstep, her breathless laughter commemorated in their every twist and spin- and she was laughing, she realized, both of them laughing and giggling their delight as they moved faster, ever faster. Their two pairs of feet began to move together as if they were one, and with them they danced to the song the water sang to the wind, their laughter blending into the chorus of the music only they could hear, and then-

Lapis lifted Steven in her arms, and together the edges of themselves bled towards white and into something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter'll be a little fluffier. i can only write at two in the mornign


	3. Lavender Stone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here they are!

There, on the beach outside the Temple, stood somebody unknown. 

Their name was Chalcedony, and they were brand new. _Beautiful._ they thought, stretching their new arms and staring at their new fingers. "Beautiful." They said, and they felt the air escape from their new lips and listened to their new voice, melodious and high. Chalcedony stumbled to their feet and stared at their reflection in the rippling ocean water.

They were big, several feet taller than Lapis and - yes, they realized, smiling - taller even than Garnet. Their skin was an airy lavender purple, offset by the almost-black midnight blue of their thick, puffy hair, huge curls spilling onto and over their shoulders. Chalcedony held all four of their arms out in front of them, clenching their fingers into fists, staring with big, lavender-iris eyes at each joint and knuckle. Steven's shirt and Lapis' dress had turned into a deep purple crop-top and skirt, a star superimposed over the entire ensemble. Chalcedony thought, looking down at their reflection, that it looked good on them.

One of their hands drifted, unbidden, to their stomach, tracing the edges of their exposed gem. It was softer now, they thought, the dull purple stone's facets worn and smooth. Another hand drifted to the gem set into their back, subconsciously searching the teardrop gem for invisible cracks or blemishes.

"I'm... me." Chalcedony said, quietly. "I'm me!" They said again, louder. "I'M ME!" They punched the air, running their free hands over their new skin, reveling in the give of their body under their fingers.

"I- we- Steven! I'm so- oh, Lapis, this is- I can't-" They wrapped their arms around themselves, hugging them tight. "We're- _I'm-_ This is _wonderful-_" Chalcedony let go of themselves, a breathless smile splitting their face in two. "I'm ME! I want to show somebody! We- I should show somebody!" Chalcedony stepped back from the water's edge, looking over their shoulder at the dark, empty temple behind them. Garnet had left, they remembered, and they didn't know where she had gone. Pearl and Amethyst could be in any number of places that they didn't feel like looking through. Greg was probably at the car wash, but the idea of walking through Beach City while they were so _new_, while they were the only one to have lain witness to themself, it made a latent anxiety flutter to life in Chalcedony's stomach. Peridot, though-

They could trust Peridot. They were pretty sure, anyway. Right now, Chalcedony didn't feel much like keeping themselves to themselves. They wanted, very much, to see their friends. Without anything more than a moment of hesitation, Chalcedony began to make her way up the beach and back to the warp.

vVv 

Peridot found that she once again had no idea where Lapis Lazuli was.

Not that this was unusual, persay- Lapis liked to spend time by herself, and Peridot had never had any intention of invading her privacy. She had often spied Lapis skimming over the ocean waves or flying just above the canopy, silently enjoying Earth's natural beauty some distance away, not too close, not too far. Peridot had noticed that since Lapis had returned, however, she had been more careful about how long she spent away from the barn. If she went very far or spent very long away, she would leave a note, or send a text, or... _something_, so while she recognized that it was almost certainly unfounded, Peridot now felt a little worried.

Instead of sitting around and letting her worry grow, Peridot decided to distract herself with something she enjoyed- gardening! With a trowel, a bucket, and no small amount of concentrated rage, she set out to weed the garden. 

_'It's infuriating, really-'_ Peridot thought to herself, tugging an errant dandelion out of the ground- _'-stupid plants, not worth anything, choking our **corn** and stealing its **nutrients**'_ She attacked an encroaching patch of grass with her trowel, digging the clump of dirt and roots out of the ground and giving it a disparate glare. _"Clod."_ She said, quietly, dumping the evil weed in her bucket. Peridot spent the better part of an hour like that, searching the field for invasive plants and pulling them out of the earth. She became so engrossed in her task that, for a moment, she barely registered the trademark _shing_ of an activating warp pad.

Peridot straightened, trying to see the warp pad over the corn and through her dirt-smudged visor. "...Lapis?" She called out, cupping a hand over her mouth. No response.

She dropped her trowel and bucket and made her way to the fore of the field, struggling through the close rows of crop and out to the lawn in front of the barn where the warp pad lay. The warp pad was inactive, intact and undisturbed. 

"...hm." Peridot grunted, thinking. Maybe this earth air was finally getting to her. She turned to head back to her gardening, and _screamed_ as she almost bumped into a huge, strange gem, trying to move away and falling onto her back. The gem - _purple, Amethyst? No, wrong shade_ \- actually _laughed_, bending over Peridot's prone form, grinning. 

"Heya Peridot! It's me- um, us-" The gem fumbled with their words and Peridot, low to the ground as she was, got a solid look at the interloper's gem-

That was _Steven's_ gem. Sure as anything, set into their stomach, all six facets. Peridot struggled for words, trying and failing several times to form a coherent sentence. "...Steven?" She squeaked, pulling herself up onto her elbows.

"Uh... kind of." The gem said. "I'm... Chalcedony, I think." 

Peridot stared at them in unblinking comprehension for a few seconds. Her gaze shifted from the shape of their hair, to the color of their skin, to the clothes they were wearing. Peridot, suddenly, comprehended.

_"Lapis?!"_ Peridot spluttered. _"STEVEN!?_ You- I- you're- _oh my stars._ OH MY STARS." Peridot's shocked expression melted off her face, replaced with a slowly dawning, wide-eyed wonder. "You can- I didn't know- _oh my **stars**-_" 

"Pretty cool, right?" Chalcedony grinned, standing up straight and twirling around, their skirt billowing around their legs. "So, uh... what do you think?" 

"You're..." For a moment, words failed Peridot. In that same moment, Chalcedony's smile faltered.

"You're... _Stars_, you're _incredible_!"

Chalcedony stared down at the little green gem, who suddenly sprang to her feet. "What happened? THIS IS INCREDIBLE! It's... Chalcedony, right? You have to tell me _everything_!"

"I..." Chalcedony hesitated, briefly, and smiled. "Yeah, Peridot, that sounds great." 

They focused, drawing two pairs of shimmering liquid wings out of their gem (accompanying a delighted squeal from Peridot) and picked the little gem up under her arms, wings beating against the air as Chalcedony came to roost with Peridot on the roof of the barn.

There, the two of them talked and laughed with each other, Chalcedony content in speaking with the gem both of her halves adored, and Peridot getting to know the gem that was everything she loved about her friends and more. 

As the dawn rolled over and the sun rose higher into the sky, Chalcedony found that the butterflies in their stomach had melted away.


End file.
